There’s nothing quite like a big pot of Charro Bean Soup simmering away on the stove. It smells divine! It’s one of those recipes that feels rustic and homey, but it’s also packed with so much flavor that it always surprises people.

With tender pinto beans, smoky bacon, spicy chorizo, and fresh veggies, this soup is hearty enough to be a main dish yet cozy enough to serve as a side dish to your favorite Mexican meals.

What is Charro Bean Soup?

In Mexico, charro beans are known as frijoles charros or cowboy beans, a traditional cowboy-style dish that’s been loved for generations. It consists of pinto beans slowly cooked with different meats (ham, chorizo and bacon) in a rich flavorful broth with peppers, onions and tomatoes.

Last year when I was figuring out the best charro beans recipe, I had the thought that if I added a little more broth and a few more ingredients, charro beans could be made into a bold, hearty soup. AND Charro Bean Soup was born! We are obsessed! It’s total Mexican comfort food!

Charro Beans vs. Borracho Beans

Many people have questions about the difference between charro beans and borracho beans because they are so similar. The short answer is beer. Ha! “Borracho beans” “drunken beans” included beer in the liquid that the beans get simmered in. That’s really the only difference. The beer gives the beans a deeper, more malty flavor, but both are made with smoky meats, pinto beans, vegetables and seasonings.

Ingredients for Charro Bean Soup

For the Beans

• Dried Pinto Beans: The base of the dish—hearty, creamy beans that provide protein, fiber, and body to the soup. Cooking them from dry gives a richer, more authentic flavor and texture compared to canned beans.
• Yellow Onion: Adds natural sweetness and depth to the cooking liquid. It builds a flavor base for the beans as they simmer.
• Garlic: Infuses the beans with a subtle, savory flavor that enhances the broth and ties in with the traditional Mexican flavor profile.
• Bay Leaves: Give a subtle earthy, herbal note that rounds out the flavor and makes the beans taste more complex.
• Kosher Salt: Seasons the beans from the inside out as they cook, enhancing their natural flavor.
• Dried Mexican Oregano: Distinct from Italian oregano, it has a slightly citrusy, earthy flavor that pairs beautifully with Mexican spices and beans. It’s traditional and really deepens authenticity.
• Water: The cooking medium that softens the beans and carries all the aromatics. Using water instead of broth at this stage lets the beans shine without overpowering them too early.

For the Soup

• Proteins: Bacon, Ham and Chorizo
• Vegetables and Aromatics: Yellow Onion, Jalapeño,

Tender crisp broccoli florets and savory chicken are perfect together in this creamy, cheesy Chicken Broccoli Pasta. I love the textures and flavors in this super fast meal. Forget takeout, this is the kind of easy dinner I go to for my busiest weeknights.

Weeknight dinners are hard, ok? Even now that my boys are older and can help with the driving, all of the activities on our calendar can still make getting dinner on the table a bit overwhelming some nights. Dinners like this easy pasta solve the problem.

And, it’s a solution I have dialed in over the years, like with this Southwest chicken skillet, because they just work.

Easy Chicken Broccoli Pasta

I have a fair number of recipes that use pre-cooked chicken. I love the way that I can make a big batch in the slow cooker to save me time in front of the stove. However, a store-bought rotisserie chicken will work just as well.

And, broccoli has been appearing at my table on repeat, pretty much ever since I learned how to properly cook it. Tender crisp, people! And since broccoli is also my middle son’s favorite vegetable, it is included in our recipes frequently.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Pasta – I use half a pound of bu

This easy teriyaki chicken recipe is one of those recipes I keep in my back pocket for busy nights when I want something comforting but don’t want to think too hard about dinner. It’s sweet, savory, glossy, and comes together quickly with simple pantry ingredients. No store-bought sauce here!

If takeout teriyaki is your usual go-to, this homemade version is going to surprise you. It’s faster than delivery, easy to customize, and one of those meals everyone at the table is happy to see.

The Best Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Cade loves sushi. Like, loves it. I think it is horrid. Wait, I know, you all love it too, but I just can’t jump on that bandwagon. I kind of want to, but at this point I’m just trying to find ways to survive. For example, I adore Cade and because he loves sushi I love going out with him for it.

The only stinky part is that then I sit there with nothing to eat, so I generally try to get a teriyaki chicken bowl or something similar. I loved an easy teriyaki chicken bowl growing up and remember how I told you about our teriyaki chicken quesadillas? Yeah, pretty much delicious. So why have I never posted such an easy and delicious recipe?!

I think the real secret to teriyaki chicken, other than a good sauce, is actually the meat you use. Everyone goes for breast meat, which is awesome and leaner, but it’s all about them thighs! Chicken thighs are more moist and work so well with the teriyaki sauce.

In fact, maybe I should ask if they could make a teriyaki chicken sushi roll!!! GENIUS! Oh, wait, except I don’t love the seaweed. Dagnabit! See! I’ve tried to like the stuff. Any recommendations on what kind I should try that would be better for me to ease into? And in the meantime, bust out our easy teriyaki chicken bowl for the fam!

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This sheet pan honey garlic kielbasa recipe is one of those dinners that makes weeknights feel easier. Everything bakes together on one pan — smoky kielbasa, tender vegetables, and a simple honey garlic sauce that turns sweet and savory in the oven.

It’s the kind of meal you can toss together quickly, pop in the oven, and walk away from while it cooks. Minimal prep, minimal cleanup, and a dinner everyone loves.

A Healthy One Pan Dinner That Actually Fills You Up

We’re always on the hunt for healthy one pan dinners! We want meals that feel balanced, satisfying, and don’t leave us rummaging through the pantry an hour later. That’s exactly why we love this one pan honey garlic kielbasa and vegetables.

The mix of sweet potatoes and regular potatoes makes this meal hearty enough to truly fill you up, while the broccoli adds freshness and color. More color on your plate isn’t just good for nutrients, it also helps your brain register the meal as satisfying, so you actually feel done when dinner’s over.

Why a Sheet Pan Works Best for This Kielbasa Recipe

• Even roasting: Spreading everything out on a sheet pan allows the kielbasa and vegetables to roast instead of steam, giving you better browning and caramelization.
• Perfect texture balance: The potatoes become tender, the broccoli gets lightly crisp, and the kielbasa browns beautifully — all at the same time.
• Hands-off cooking: Once everything is on the pan and in the oven, there’s very little to manage. No stirring, no babysitting.
• Big flavor, easy cleanup: The honey garlic sauce melts and coats the sausage as it bakes, creating big flavor without extra dishes.

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A shockingly simple list of ingredients is transformed with slow heat into the incredibly flavorful Slow Cooker Mississippi Pot Roast. I don’t know why it took me so long to finally give this very popular recipe a try, but my boys went wild for it.

I have made a lot of roasts over the past 15 years. And, I love the way that a day in the slow cooker transforms pot roast into incredibly tender, flavorful meat that just falls apart at the slightest touch. For years, this traditional Dutch oven pot roast has been a family favorite, but this roast is giving it competition now.

Mississippi Pot Roast

I wish I could convey to you how glorious this smelled all day while it was cooking. Growing up, we did not eat a lot of beef. So, let me just be up front that all of my proficiency in this area came as an adult, at the cost of some truly spectacular early failures.

I am living proof that you can grow into the kind of cook that you want to be. It just takes time and practice. And, this recipe is exactly the kind that you should start with. A simple ingredients list and hardly any prep? Absolutely. That’s why I am convinced that anyone can make this slow cooker Mississippi pot roast.

Notes on Equipment

It will come as no surprise, but the only piece of equipment I need to make this recipe is a slow cooker. Crock-pots have been a game changer when it comes to being able to host a crowd witho